EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

Sweet Leaf_Sabbath

Sweet Leaf_Sabbath

New member
I'm probably going to buy a DK2 Dinky and slap an 81 in the bridge. Now, I know that it's an active pickup and it needs a power supply and all that....is it like...difficult to install this? Where do you put a battery box? Do you have to install new volume/tone knobs? Answering all these questions, along with any other things you guys can think of, would be extremely koo.


Thanks, guys.

out.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

You'll have to install new pots (knobs), and a new output jack, as well as a 9 volt battery. According to EMG's website, all of that is included with the pickup (not the battery, but a clip for it), and most of it is already wired together. Some, but not much soldering will probably be required. I don't know what the control cavity on a DK2 looks like, so I can't tell you if you'll be able to weasel the battery in there or not.
http://www.emginc.com/displayproducts.asp?section=Guitar&categoryid=6&catalogid=1
There's the 81 on the EMG site if you've not already looked at it.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

Don't know if the emg 81 works well with the other pups (passive). And the supply with the battery it's crap. I also have a dk2 and switched the bridge stock with the JB Trembucker. It's awesome man! It's perfect for this type of guitar. Maybe the Custom will do the same thing.
Anyway go SD! :laugh2:
M
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

The installation isn't that hard. The battery clip is attached to the output jack, and everything else you need comes with the pickup. You should have room for the pickup to hang out with all of the pots without a problem.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

they dont work well with passive pickups??? why not? I mean i guess i can kinda see why, but what exactly is the problem with mixing passives with actives???
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

passives use 250k-500k pots, and actives use 5k pots.
there would be an enormous difference in volume, so either the passives or the actives would sound like crap.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

So, what you guys are saying is dont get an 81 with 2 single coil passives???

Now I'm bummed...I had it all planned out in my head....
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

no you cannot mix passives with actives......but i once had e mailed emg asking them for a wiring diagramm for mixing actives with passives.......so try speaking to them first.......
I have also posted a thread here in the forum and one member replied like this:
Use a 25K EMG pot with 100n capacitor in the tone circuit assigned to EMG, and assign the singles pu´s to the other (250K). Use the original master volume pot (250K) and put a 27K resistor paralelled between the hot and ground in the EMG for emulate the 25K suggested value in combination with the 250K pot. This maintais 250K value for the singles and 24.3K for the EMG. This is the system.
The original tone in second position is lost, but you can connect the singles pu´s out of phase with respect to the EMG to obtain an interesting sound (thinner than the one of the first position and good for rythmn with overdrive). Good luck!

So maybe you could try it and see if it works
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

The hardest thing about installing EMG's is that the whole time you will be forced to think of how much cooler it would have been to put Duncan's in. But yeah, it's up to you, haha.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

Jessica said:
The hardest thing about installing EMG's is that the whole time you will be forced to think of how much cooler it would have been to put Duncan's in. But yeah, it's up to you, haha.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes: I thought it was all about what gets you there. But I do hope that Sermour does expand his active pickup line because I think he could take the market.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

To mix active and passive pickups, all you need to do is have seperate pots for each set. Volume for EMG, Volume for passive's, Tone for either, depending on how many knobs the guitar is drilled for.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

all the DK2 has is a master volume and tone. so could i get away with a volume for the 81 and a volume for the singles?
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

Yes, and to get rid of extra treble that you'd gain by ditching the tone control, just put a tone control in the control cavity, set to 10.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

DeadSkinSlayer3 said:
To mix active and passive pickups, all you need to do is have seperate pots for each set. Volume for EMG, Volume for passive's, Tone for either, depending on how many knobs the guitar is drilled for.
Click to expand...
and when you switch to the passive you gotta patch the ground wire from the bridge to ground, as you don't use it on active pups.
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

EMG said:
Can I mix EMG's with passive pickups?

It is possible to mix EMG's with passive pickups. There are three possible wiring configurations; one is better than the other two.

Use the high impedance (250K-500K) volume and tone controls. The problem is that the high impedance controls act more like a switch to the EMG's. The passive pickups, however, will work fine. If you have a guitar with two pickups and two volume pots, with a three-way switch, there is another alternative. Use the 25K pots for the EMG, and the 250K pots for the passive pickup. This way you can use one or the other with no adverse affects, but with the switch in the middle position the passive pickup will have reduced gain and response.

Use the low-impedance (25K) volume and tone controls provided with the EMG's. The problem here is that the passive pickups will suffer a reduction in gain and loss of high-frequency response.

This is the best alternative. Install an EMG-PA-2 on the passive pickups. There are two benefits to doing this. With the trimpot on the PA-2, you can adjust the gain of the passive pickups to match the EMG's. The PA-2 acts as an impedance matching device so you can use the low-impedance EMG controls (25K) without affecting the tone of the passive pickups. You will also be able to use other EMG accessory circuits such as the SPC, RPC, EXB, EXG, etc. For this application, we recommend ordering the PA-2 without the switch for easy installation on the inside of a guitar.

www.emginc.com
Click to expand...


I'd recommend the EMG-PA-2 route.

If I was doing what you're doing, I'd just stick an 81 in the bridge, do the PA-2 thing and start saving for a EMG single coil or two. Then, when you're done you can re-wire the PA-2 so all the pickups go through it and end up with a nifty upto +20db boost on your axe (hey, it works for Kerry King....:evil: )
 
Re: EMG 81/Installation: is it tough???

3 cent hero said:
and when you switch to the passive you gotta patch the ground wire from the bridge to ground, as you don't use it on active pups.
Click to expand...

Well you'd only ground the passive volume pot to bridge, and not ground the 2 pot's together.
 
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